BIOCHEMICAL INDEXES AND NEUROMUSCULAR FUNCTION-TESTS IN RURAL GAMBIANSCHOOLCHILDREN GIVEN A RIBOFLAVIN, OR MULTIVITAMIN PLUS IRON, SUPPLEMENT

Ninety preselected children, aged between 8 and 14 years, living in tw o rural West African (Gambian) villages, mere randomly divided into th ree groups, matched for age and sex. One group received a placebo (lac tose) tablet, one received riboflavin (5 mg) on 5 d every week,,which was sufficient to correct an endemic riboflavin deficiency, and one re ceived a multivitamin supplement (Protovit; Hoffmann La Roche), on 5 d every week, together with FeSO4 (200 mg) once weekly, and the supplem ents were given for 1 year. Neuromuscular tests, including arm tremor and manipulative skills, were performed on three occasions: once just before the introduction of the supplements; again 6 weeks after commen cing the supplements; and again 1 year later. Venous blood samples wer e collected at the same time as the first two sets of neuromuscular te sts. These samples were used for haematology and nutrient status indic es: plasma ferritin, ascorbic acid, cyanocobalamin and pyridoxal phosp hate, and erythrocyte tests for folate status, for riboflavin status ( erythrocyte glutathione reductase activation coefficient) and thiamine status (erythrocyte transketolase activation coefficient). The ribofl avin in both supplements achieved a clear-cut response in biochemical status, which was dose-dependent. The pyridoxine, ascorbic acid and Fe components of the multivitamin also affected the associated biochemic al indices. Although overall the arm tremor and related neuromuscular function tests did not respond significantly to the supplements, signi ficant improvement was seen in the boys for the arm-tremor test in bot h the supplemented groups.